VENEECONOMIST
Analysis Type A — Current Events · JUNE 26, 2026

What OFAC’s New License Does —and Doesn’t— Allow for Aiding Venezuela After the Quake

After the earthquake, OFAC issued General License 60, which temporarily lifts the sanctions prohibitions for relief through October 23, 2026, and the U.S. pledged US$150M through the UN and aid partners. A descriptive map of the perimeter: which transactions are authorized (including third-country transfers), what the license leaves out (no property unblocked, no ordinary remittances or commerce), and through which vehicles the money flows. Information, not advice.

Published June 26, 2026

Alongside the tragedy, the June 24 earthquake opened a concrete question for anyone who wants to help: what can be done legally? The United States answered with two verifiable measures —OFAC's General License 60, which temporarily lifts the sanctions prohibitions for relief through October 23, 2026, and a 150-million-dollar contribution channeled through the UN and aid partners. What follows is a map of the perimeter: what the license authorizes, what it leaves out, and through which vehicles the money flows. It is information, not advice: every operation should be assessed against the official text.

General License 60 authorizes, for earthquake-relief purposes, all transactions that the Venezuela sanctions regime (the Venezuela Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 591) would normally prohibit. The authorization has a closing date: it runs through 12:01 a.m. eastern time on October 23, 2026. Within that window, two details of the text are especially relevant for anyone moving relief resources:

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Classification
Analysis Type ACurrent Events
Riesgo · Sanciones
June 26, 2026
Sources
  • OFAC · Departamento del Tesoro de EE.UU. — Licencia General 60 (Venezuela), 31 CFR parte 591, firmada el 25-jun-2026; vigente hasta el 23-oct-2026
  • Departamento de Estado de EE.UU. — aporte de US$150M y despliegue de equipos de respuesta
  • ONU · OCHA — fondo mancomunado de respuesta humanitaria para Venezuela
VENE · ECONOMIST Intelligence Unit · Informational analysis. Does not constitute investment, legal or tax advice. Vene Economist is not a credit rating agency; the "VE Verdict" is a proprietary editorial indicator, not a credit rating. Always verify against the primary source before making decisions.
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OFAC · GL 60

GL 60 — Earthquake Relief Efforts (through October 23, 2026)

Authorizes, through 12:01 a.m. eastern time on October 23, 2026, transactions ordinarily incident and necessary to earthquake-relief efforts following the June 24, 2026 earthquake in Venezuela that would otherwise be prohibited by the Venezuela Sanctions Regulations (31 CFR part 591), including those involving the Government of Venezuela and SDNs sanctioned under the executive orders incorporated into the VSR. Note 1 covers the processing and transfer of funds on behalf of third-country persons in support of relief and lets U.S. financial institutions and money transmitters rely on the originator to establish compliance. Does not unblock blocked property and does not cover ordinary activity (routine remittances, general commerce).

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